Sheet feeder mechanisms, such as automatic document feeders (ADFs), are often incorporated into electronic devices such as copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and other such devices. Certain sheet feeder mechanisms also have a sheet separation mechanism, which is disposed adjacent the sheet feeder mechanism. The sheet separation mechanism separates a stack of sheets during feeding, such that the sheet feeder mechanism can feed the sheets one after another.
The sheet separation mechanism quickly wears out from use. A worn separation mechanism causes higher jam rates, misfeeds, and other functional errors. Unfortunately, a user is generally unaware of the need for a replacement sheet separation mechanism, such that the operational problems continue. This can result in time-consuming service calls, down time of the electronic device, and customer dissatisfaction.